Category: harvardhealth_news_UNDEFINED

Many common wellness myths contain a grain of truth but are misleading over all. One wellness myth holds that being thin equates to being healthy, but people who are think can still be unhealthy. Another myth posits that detoxes and cleanses can help people be healthier, but these products don’t help and can even be dangerous for some people. Another myth is that eating before bedtime leads to weight gain, but food choice matters more than timing.

Vasomotor symptoms, consisting of hot flashes and night sweats, affect 80% of women during the menopause transition and beyond. In May 2023, the FDA approved fezolinetant (Veozah) as the first nonhormonal medication designed specifically for vasomotor symptoms. Other medications deemed effective for hot flashes are prescribed off-label. They include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, oxybutynin, and gabapentin. But these drugs may lead to troublesome side effects. Women interested in hot flash relief should ask their clinicians for options that take into account their other symptoms.

“Regular” bowel movements can mean something different for each person. Some people have a bowel movement once or twice daily; for others, it’s once or twice weekly. People should see a doctor if they notice a dramatic change in bowel habits or other symptoms, including fatigue, pain, unintended weight loss, bloody stool, or a change in stool consistency. People can promote digestion by maintaining a toileting schedule, heeding their body’s signals, and using a toilet stool.

A 2023 study suggests using hearing aids may reduce the risk of cognitive decline, especially in older adults with the highest risk of developing severe cognitive impairment.

In a 2023 study, among people age 50 or 60 who reported high rates of exercise, those who said they slept less than six hours per night had faster rates of cognitive decline over the next 10 years than those who said they got six to eight hours of sleep per night.

A 2023 study of about 110,000 people in the United Kingdom suggested that those who most adhered to a Mediterranean lifestyle had a 28% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 29% lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause, compared with those who least adhered to the lifestyle.

White spots on fingernails are common and have many possible causes. These include minor trauma to the fingers, wearing nail polish for prolonged periods, fungal infections, low iron levels, kidney disease, or liver cirrhosis.

It’s hard to get rid of sticky thoughts, which play repeatedly in the mind and cause distress. Strategies that can help include going for a walk, staying busy by scheduling activities, limiting worry time to one specific period of each day, and talking to family and friends. If sticky thoughts don’t go away after a few weeks, it might be time to talk to a primary care doctor or a therapist. Treatment might involve cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps someone recognize sticky thoughts and redirect them in ways that are less negative and more manageable.

Taking a blood thinner helps protect people at risk for dangerous blood clots that can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a stroke or heart attack. But the medications increase the risk for uncontrolled bleeding. People taking the drugs should learn what to do in case bleeding occurs. For minor injuries, it’s important to apply extra pressure until bleeding stops. For serious injuries, one should call 911 and apply as much pressure as possible to the wound until help arrives. People who take blood thinners and experience even minor injury from a fall or accident should automatically go to urgent care or the emergency department to get checked out, even if there is no apparent bleeding or trauma is observed.

Having a sense of purpose is linked to important health benefits, such as longevity and sharp thinking skills. There are many ways to cultivate a sense of purpose. Ideas include thinking about one’s strengths or skills and how to apply them; becoming a mentor; volunteering time to a worthy cause; reading Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning; writing about lived experiences and sharing the information with family or friends; and thinking of longtime dreams and ways to achieve elements of them.